There are these five strengths. Which five? Strength of conviction, strength of persistence, strength of mindfulness, strength of concentration, & strength of discernment. These are the five strengths.

Just as the River Ganges flows to the east, slopes to the east, inclines to the east, in the same way when a monk develops & pursues the five strengths, he flows to Unbinding, slopes to Unbinding, inclines to Unbinding.

And how is it that when a monk develops & pursues the five strengths, he flows... slopes... inclines to Unbinding?

There is the case where the monk develops strength of conviction dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops strength of persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment dependent on seclusion... dispassion... cessation, resulting in letting go.

This is how a monk, when developing & pursuing the five strengths, flows... slopes... inclines to Unbinding.

“Bhikkhus, there are these five powers. What five? The power of faith, the power of energy, the power of mindfulness, the power of concentration, the power of wisdom. These are the five powers.

“Bhikkhus, just as the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east, so too a bhikkhu who develops and cultivates the five powers slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

“And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu develop and cultivate the five powers so that he slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops the power of faith, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops the power of energy … the power of mindfulness … the power of concentration … the power of wisdom, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release.

“It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu develops and cultivates the five powers so that he slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.”

And there is this sutta which says when heedfulness is established the five faculties are developed.

"Monks, when one quality is established in a monk, the five faculties are developed & developed well. Which one quality? Heedfulness.

"And what is heedfulness? There is the case where a monk guards his mind with regard to [mental] fermentations and mental qualities accompanied by fermentations. When his mind is guarded with regard to fermentations and mental qualities accompanied by fermentations, the faculty of conviction goes to the culmination of its development. The faculty of persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment goes to the culmination of its development.